Is there anyone working on the Prence/Prince Family?

Question

I just found a link in my husband's line to the Thomas Prence family from the Massachusetts Bay Colonies. Once I got to that point to start linking in I noticed that there is some merging that needs done. Is there anyone working on this line yet? I can't remember where to look. I would be happy to start-I went ahead and matched potential merges, but didn't want to go further until I knew whether someone is already working on it.

Along that same line, in what I can find on the Prence family, it looks like they were actually Prince until Thomas Prence, the governor, came to America, at which point the name is listed as Prence. Once the merging is done, I should change the lnab to Prince, right? How long should I keep the Prince surname? It looks to be Prence from that point on in the colonies. I just found this connection, so I am not very familiar with the Prence family, but am reading up.

Comments

The Prince/Prence names have alternated through recorded history (my grandparents are spelled Prence in 1920 census). I come from the Thomas Prence/Mary Collier daughter so don't inherit the name from them (it comes down from Robert Prince and his sons of Salem witch trial connection).  I've run into wikitree duplicates based on different spellings of an ancestor's LNAB so I may get more insight in how PGM handles those.  In the case in point there is a family online history telling who made a change (but it's still unclear whether the son had the new spelling at birth).

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My Prince Line goes back to Jacques Nicolas LePrince, born in 1646 in Normandy , France. He immigrated to Canada in 1666. Some of my Aunts and Uncles were born in New Bedford, Mass. However, I haven't as yet found a connection to a Thomas Prince. I am working on it though.

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I have a different Prince line ending with my second grandmother, Sophronia Caroline Prince, in Greenville, SC. Her father, Henry Berry Prince, and his father, H.B., Sr. were from Virginia, with their ancestors born in the Virginia Colony. A surname spelling does seem to occur in England:

Edward Prince aka Prence

Born about 1607 in Newarne, Lydney Parish, Gloucestershire

Answer 1

Abby,

He is Prence in the NEHG "Great Migration Begins" Vol 3, P1518-1524. In the "Pink Book" on Brewster  published by Soc. of Mayflower Desc.  the name is consistently Prence. He lived in Eastham, Mass and is known there as "Prence", with a motel and highway named for him.

I have never seem his name as "Prince".

Comments

Abby and Becky, when/if you guys agree on the surname for everyone in the line, Lianne or I can help with the merges.

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Wikipedia mentioned Prince, and at least one profile had it listed as an alternate name. I have no preference, but wanted to make sure the profile was accurate. As I mentioned, this a new link for me so I am not familiar with it, but willing to work on it.

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Agreed: Prence. In the "Winthrop Papers" he apparently signed as Prence:

Winthrop Papers, Vol. 3:65 in 1632.

(Just realized this is a very old post! :)

Answer 2

Abby,

I've been working on the Prince line that goes back to Massachusetts in the 1700's.  I have not yet connected them to the Prince's of the Mayflower but I've documented two or three generations.

Let's collaborate.   Here's Prince-2906, James Prince, b. 1711, who married Hannah (Putnam) Prince, and some of their children.

Regards, Janine

Comments

Hi Janine,

I haven't looked at this in years :-) If I get a chance, I'll review where I left off. Happy to collaborate if my name shows up anywhere!

Abby

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James my 6th ggf didn't turn up in gedcompare so j appreciate this possible shortcut. Some time soon i would want to see if the lines from Robert prince down to my namesakes are or might be set up.

Answer 3

To confuse things further, there is also a line from John Prince who married Alice Honor, in the same area that has a number of descendants in Plymouth Colony including son Thomas Prince. John Prince arrived in 1634 and was first at Cambridge, but soon in Hingham, and Hull and descendant are in Scituate, and Kingston and other places.

Comments

James Prince and Hannah Putnam of Danvers are in my line, and it's fairly clear there's no connection to a Prince of Plymouth, other than (on my mother's side) Thomas Prence.  The doings of John Prince from the time he arrived in Massachusetts until settling in Hull seem still to be a matter of controversy.  I'm not related to any children of his in Hull unless possibly as great-aunts and -uncles of this James.